Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-25
WASHINGTON.
A Story of Bob IngersOII in Connec-
ton with Army Liberalization
Of the Marine Corps,
A Large Glass OF Men in the Depart
mehts Who Are Qualified to Hold
Higher Positions In Life.
How Henry OIay's Ovsrdrawn Bank Ac-
count Was Paid by strangers VINO
Never Revealed Their Identity.

How Henry OIay's Ovsrdrawn Bank Ac-
count Was Paid by strangers VINO
Never Revealed Their Identity.
A WHITE MARK FOR BOB INGERsOLL.
Special % the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, July 24.-Some of the
examiners OF the pension Office hear sto-
ries of army life that are not always pub
Iished in the annais of the wsr. 0ae
Of these gentlemen tells one which Illus
trates the generosity of Colonel Bob In
gersou, which Will doubtless prove an
excellent piece OF eyIdesCe for that gen
tlemsn in the hereafter, if 81. Peter hears
of it. Said ne: "Scme years ago was
on duty in Illinois and while there WAS
required TO take the deposition of an ap
phcant for q pension who seemed
very positive about the date on which he
contracted q severe cold, which resulted in
chronic lung difficulty for which he
claimed the bounty Of the government.
His positiyeness as to the date led me to
inquire how it was that he could swear to
an incident which was comparatively
trivial when it occurred. In answer to
nv inquiries he said al know that the
cold was contracted on February - 1862,
because Boo IngersolI was married on
the following day, How do l come to
remember that so well; Why Bob was
/ the Colonel of cur regiment. l was on
guard duty near Peoria on the night of
! the 2lst. 1t was as cold as [ ever felt 1t
snd as | stood at my post BOB came
along, snd after sslutiug him 1 said,
/ Bob, if you don't give me an
/ overcost, 8 bottle Of whisky, or re
. Iteve me from this duty l will freeze 70
| death He replied, PU 90 all three. >
With that he took off the overCoat, which
] mad been made as g portion OF his wed
ding outfit, and handed it over 20 me.
Then from an inside pocket he hoisted
out pint flask of p.ime old red.eye and
chucked that over too. After that he
left me and returned TO his quarters and
I'll be blamed if he didn't Issue order
for the relief Of the entire guard, as ne
said il was too cussed cold for guard
duty that night. You see that evtIt i'm
/ pressed dates On my memory, and l an
EHot likely TO soon forget the day OF
Colonel B0b's wedding
AN ORNAMENT TO THE NAVY.
Special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, July 24.-"I think that
the next move Of importance TO the mil
itary service of the United States will be
the abolition Of the marine corps" said
an old army officer TO your correspond
eut to-day. Only reason for this belief
he continued, els the fact thsC the corps
is absolutely useless in this country. In
countries where the crews of the naval
vessels are not regularly enlisted, it's
| necessary to keep them In check with a
company of 'sea-sOldiers,' but in the
United Ststes navy sailors are regularly
enlisted and the use Of the marine is
difficult to understand. The corps as
now constituted contains about 900 OIL
GERS and men. They are used as guards
for the navy yards and FOR similar duties
Each vessel IN commission Is of course
asupplied with 8 complement Of them, but
IL would require sea LAWYER to define
their duties. 1t is true that the corps
did good work in protecting the rights OF
the American residents on the Isthmus OF
Panama q few. years ago, but beyond ths'
Il I do not recall anything done ~ them
since the war. 1t is argued thst they are
necessary for shore duty in case the com
tpanding officer OF vessel finds IL neces
Fssry to send g party ashore. But the
JACK Tar is an excellent fighter himself
and he does not need g soldier 10 sh0r
him how TO use q mus6et. Marines are 6
useless expense to q country ike this one
/. and | think that they are doomed. With
in the past few wears . number Of invest
eating Congressman have been maxim.
inquiries as to the value Of marines anC
several have told me that they intend t,
take the necessary steps at sn early da.
to secure the abolition of what they hsv
come to consider a useless, though Orna
mental, adjunct TO the navy
A GOOD THING To HE KICHED OUT.
Special to the Gazette.
WAsHINGToN, July Pet is an axiom
which needs no demonstration that thert
sre buried IN the departmental service o
| the government in Washington grea
. many men who are tied down by salarie:
which they receive regularly every month
who would make names and fortunes 70
themselves if they should shake the dus
of Washington from their feet. Tht
wives Of many Of these men are pOten
factors in keeping them here. 1t IS
( well known fact that there Is scarcely 8
woman in Washington who can be in
, duced to leave the city, no matter VIVA
material advantages might be Sc
= cured 10y her husband Il he should
strike out for himself. Occasionally
there is man who mas been relieved from
the service of the government eithe
voluntarily, OF otherwise, VINO has show
since his official career was shut of tha
he was born for better things than O.
5 annual salary of Slt00 year. About Ia
2 yesr 1870 Congressman George W Julian
) Of Indians, secured the appointment O
". c. Hill, young man from Wayn
s county in that state, to 8 Cierksnip in In
: census office. Hill was subsequent
l transferred to the land office where b
. passed an excellent examination and wa
p promoted to the $1,000 grade. This posi-
ton he held for several years unit
st last he was dropped for som
political reason. Later It wss foun
that mistake had been made an
he was offered his old position bac
5 again, but ne said he had had enough o
the government service and declined n
4 re-appointment. During his term Of Of
b fee he had occupied his spare time in tt
!. study Of law, and after his dismissal q
:. opened an Office as 8 land attorney, an
] 4, 49, blichAd 4